Separating device.



J. E. ROTHWELL. SEPARATING DEVICE.-

APPLICATION PILBD-NOV. 16, 1909.

. 1 02 7 9 Patented June 4,1912. 4- I 4'BEEBTS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES INVENTOR- 170/272 ZZZ/A W6 2 A TTORNEY/S J. B. ROTHWELL.

SEPARATING DEVICE; APPLIOATION FILED NOV. 16, 1909.

, 1,028,789 I Patented June,4, 1912.

4 SHEETSSEEET 3.

WITNESSES."

A TTOR/V VS I" I 7 I Macaw Z M [W J. B. -ROTHWELL.

SEPARATING DEVICE. APPLI ATION FILED Nov, 1e,.1 o9.

Patented June 4, 1912.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

WITNESSES.

nromver Fig. 0 1s JOHN EDWARD ROTHWELL, 0F DENVER, COLORADO.

SEPABATING DEVICE.

Application filed November 16, 1309.

To all whom it may com-em:

Be it known that I, JOHN E. Ro'rHwELL, citizen of the Dominion of Canada, residing at Denver, Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Separating Devices, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a separating de-' vice for the separating and washing of liquids from solids, and is particularly adapted for the removal of water from valuable solids preparatory to their after treatment or utility; or, vice versa, the separation of valuable solutions from waste insoluble material, and the washing and extraction of the valuable solutions from the waste material and the automatic delivery of the said solutions and solids to receptacles prepared to receive the same, prior to their further after treatment. or storage.

The object of my invention is to furnish a device, simple in construction and operation, and of minimum cost. to accomplish the results sought in a practical and economical manner.

1n the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view showing twelve trays, one being shown as tilted. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of the machine. Fig. 3 is a 1on gitudinal sectional elevation of the separating trays and accompanying mechanism.

Fig. 4 is a cross section in elevation of the same. Fig. 5 is a plan view of the same. a plan view of a detail. Fig. 7 is a cross section in elevation of the same. Fig. 8 is a detail view. Fig. 9 is a plan view of a detail. Fig. 10 is an elevation and section of a detail. Fig. 11 is a detail.

In Figs. 1 and 2, 1 is one of a series of twelve separating trays, in all. of which, in rotation, the mixture of solids and liquids, which I will call hereinafter the pulp, is distributed from a stationary distributing launder shown at 2. I do not limit myself to any fixed number of trays, as this feature is only determined by the chine required for any certain purpose, the number being made to suit the size of tray required for convenient handling.

The trays are made up of any. suitable materials, the illustrations Figs. 3, 4 and 5 showing a tray with a wooden bottom a, and metal sides and ends 6 and a. The sides of the tray conform to a radial line dependenton the number of trays used for a given size of machine, so that when the trays are Specification of Letters Patent.

size of the marammedauneaimz. Serial No. 528,491.

side they will conform to a polygonal shaped placed side by continuous annular or horizontal plane. slightly flaring outwardly, and at the top edge a flexible packing strip (Z is attached for the purpose of maintaining a water tight joint between. each tray when they are in a horizontal position. I

The inside bottom of the tray is provided with a suitable opening (1, for the outflow of the separated liquid, and from this opening tapering grooves f radiate, which conduct the separated liquid to the outflow opening. A porous diaphragm made up of metal screen cloth, burlap and canvas is laid and held in place bythe metal sides 6 and c, and. is further bound with taut wires is, placed on radial lines, as shown in Figs. 1 and 5.

The trays are fastened to trunnion castings 3 Figs. 3 and t, with bolts. These trunnions have openings 3*, 3 forming conduits to and from the trays for purposes hereinafter described; other suitable ring 3 forms a water tight joint between the tray and trunnion, and the opening 0 in the tray and conduit 3 in the trunnion casting coincide. Attached to or a part of the trunnion casting is a crank arm 3- as shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

The trunnion casting is supported in bearings 4 and 5, which are-in turn a part of or attached to the frame work 6, and this frame is fastened to the track ring 7. ,This track ring is supported on suitable rollers 8, and the whole rotated by gearings, as 9, 9 and 9", which shows a suitable method of traction drive, although any other method of toothed gearing may be employed.

The crank arm 3 has a connecting rod 10, with a pin 10 and roller 10*, working ina curved or cam track 30 to actuate or tilt the tray at the proper time.

Attached to the trunnion box are packing glands 11--12, forming a water tight connection around the stationary pipes 13-14: which form the connecting conduits between the separating trays and the central disk 15.

A pipe 14, Fig. 3, is threaded into the conduit 8* and terminates in the header 14". This header is perforated at 14 for the outlet of air or liquid under pressure. i

The pipes 13-14 are connected with the The sides of the trays are of the disk and i separating trays,

either li uid or air,

- nection with holes 13"..

' sions 16 and 16 threaded for connection with the pipes 13 and 14. These pipes also act as spokes and rotate the disk with the frame carrying the at the same time forming av conduit from the tionary disk 16. 7

The stationary disk 16 is known inplan and sectionFigs. 9 and 10, has two depreswith outlets for pipe connectionslfi a'nd16, in turn connected with vacuum pumps or receptacles in whicha vacuum is maintained. These grooves, when the disk 16 is placed against the disk 15, as in Fig. 10, coincide wlth the line of separating trays to the staholes 13", Fig. 8. In the disk "16 are also located two holes 16 their respective pipes, Fig. 10, which in turn are connected with a source of pressure of or both, as found neces sary. T e opening 16 is in the same circle as the grooves 16 and 16 and when in condisk 15, coincides with the The hole 16is in a-concentric circle to 16 and coincides with the openings 14 of disks 15, as shown in Fig. 10.-

The two disks 15 and 16 are supported on the standard 17 and base 18 Fig. 10, and are held in an air and water tight conned tion by the spiral spring 19, which is held in compression by the split nut 20. "his nut is inserted in the crank arm 21, which, when rigidly fastened,'h'oldsthe disk- 16 stationary by the pin 22 at any desired position in the horizontal plane as required.

The curved track shown in Figs. 6 and 7 is placed as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and its function is to actuate the roller 10",, at

and 16 Fig. 8 with tached through its connecting rod with the casting of each separating tray,- the tray from its horizontal posito a vertical trunnion and'turn tion upwardly and outwardly position, for the purpose of discharging the solids that have been retained on the porous box- 2 evenly I When this tray diaphragm of the separating tray.

In operation and for illustration I will describe the treatment of gold and silver ores by the cyanid process. The pulp, after the necessary preliminary treatment by which the metal values have been dissolved, is distributed by the stationary distributing in the tray that is passing slowly below it. has passed beyond the line of the dist-ri'buter, itis loaded to' the desired depth. this being determined by the amount of inflow and speed of rotation. It is then in a condition to be separated and washed.

This action begins when the opening 13,

Fig. 8, in its rotation coincides with the grooved depression 16 of the stationary disk 16, Fig. 9, in which a tained through the pipe 1 pump,'the location the machine but not solution is thereby 6, by a vacuum of which is-adjacent to necessary to show. The drawn away from the or flooded into cides the opening 13 coincides wit-h the o .16 water or air pressure is admitted some outside source, not shown, connected on to the separating diaphragm vacuum is main-.

finely divided solids, whichremain in the tray on the porous diaphragm. This draining'act-ion continues during the rotationas, long as the opening 13 groove. At some point of the tray, such as at X and Y, Fig. 1, a

wash solution and wash water is sprayed} the tray and is drawn through ,..as long as the opening? 13 coinwi'th the grooves-16* andi1 6l'. partitionshown between the ends/of these Y grooves is for the purpose of separating the strong or'more valuable soi nFfiom the weak or les s valuable solutionr-- coincides with jt-he in the revolution The 7 5 By thetimej tray has moved around to the position shown #8 by the-tilted tray, Figs. 1 and 2,

thel'iqnids ha e been eliminated sufliciently" fromfiht sol1ds,.ahd t ese solids are then in a. condition to be discharged from the trays and the tray made'ready for its loading again with p p The tilting action already described, so that when in a vertical position pening with the pipe 16, and passing through the discharging of. the tray is accom- 'plished by the from pipe 13 to the under side ofthe porous dlaphragm frees the solids j'ro'm. "same, and v at the same time the opening Mil-coincides with the opening 16 through which a pressure of Water or air is admitted to the pipe 14C of the tilted tray and conduit 3 in the trunnion casting to the pipe 14 and perforated header 14 off the porous diaphragm and'into the receptacle Z, in Wbich'they are removed to any desired point as required, but not necessary to show. The tray in its. further rotation is again brought to a horizontal posi tion and is ready to receivea new charge of the pulp.

Each tray of the series .follows the cycle of operations described. j

I claim I 1. Aseparating device comprisingaseries of trays placed side by-side, means for moving the trays, and packing strips located between. thetrays.

2. Aseparating device comprisingaseries of trays, means for, rotating the same, filter means in said trays, central. suction means, a pipe leading from said means to each tray for drawing the solution. therefrom as the tray moves, means for tilting the tray at a certain point, and means for cutting the suction off .when the tray is tilted and forcing fluid through the said pipe to the tray below the filter, and independent. means for conducting compressed fluid against the material on the top of thefilter means.

3. A separating device comprising a rotary disk and a stationary disk, trays surroundingsaid disks, a suction pipe and a;

,92 8 g y a I v I pressure pipe connecting each tray with the rotary disk, said rotary disk 'havlnga ring of suction openings therein communicating with the suction pipes and another ring of pressure openings communicating with the pressure p pes, said stationary disk having grooves in its inner face' adapted to communicate with the suction openings, and

also having openings adapted to communicate with the pressure. openings, pressure and vacuum means connected with said grooves, and openings in the stationary'disk and spring means for holding the disks together. I v. j

4. A separating device comprising a stationary disk and a movable disk having grooves and ports therein, a shaft supporting said disks, a spring coiled around theshaft and pressing the stationary disk against the movable disk, a split nut on said shaft engaging the other end of the spring, a sleeve surrounding the nut, an arm on said sleeve, a rod on'the stationary disk engaging the arm, trays surrounding the disks, means for rotating the trays and pipes connecting the trayswith the ports in the movable disks.

5. A separa-tin device comprising a series of trays, means or rotating the same, trunnions arranged at right angles to the ra dial l'inejor supporting the trays, means for tilting the trays on said trunnions at a certain place, and means passing through the trunnions for'wlthdrawingthe solutlon from theitrayslo r applying fluid thereto.

6. A separating device comprising a series of trays, means for rotating the same, hollow trunriionsarrangedat right angles to the radial line' for supportin the trays,

- means for tilting the trays on .t e trunnions at a certain place,means passing through the trunnions for withdrawingthe solution I In testimony whereof, I affix my signature.-

in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN EDWARD ROTHWELL.

Witnesses I V i W. R. CADY, H. F. MILLS. 

